Abstract: A process for manufacturing a composite building panel of the type having a facing layer made from a plurality of facing elements, such as brick slices or stone slices, retained in a spaced apart relationship, and a magnetically attractable particulate material disposed between the facing elements to imitate mortar. In the process of making the building panel facing elements are placed in a holder having a plurality of recesses for receiving facing elements. Spacers are placed between said recesses for maintaining the facing elements in a spaced apart relationship. A magnetic field is generated in the vicinity of spacers for retaining thereto magnetically attractable particulate material. A backing layer is placed in a spaced apart relationship to the facing elements in the holder. A plastic material is then introduced between the facing elements and the backing layer for building an insulation layer.

Abstract: A process and device for manufacturing a composite building panel of the type comprising a facing layer made from a plurality of facing elements, such as brick slices or stone slices for example, retained in a spaced apart relationship, and a magnetically attractible particulate material disposed between the facing elements to imitate mortar. A rigid backing layer is provided, spaced from the spacing layer, the space between the facing and backing layers being filled with an insulation/bonding layer. The device for use in manufacturing the building panel comprises a facing element holder in the form of a structure with a plurality of recesses for receiving therein facing elements, also including spacers between recesses in order to maintain the facing elements in a spaced apart relationship. Ceramic magnets are provided on the spacers for retaining temporarily thereto the particulate material against gravity, until the insulation/bonding layer is built which retains all the elements of the panel together.